Blast from the Past
by imagining.life
Summary: What if Kate Beckett and Richard Castle met before under different circumstances? - Beckett saves Alexis one day and unknowingly meets Castle 9 years before he starts to shadow her{this is my first story! tell me what you think!} I update only on Friday's and weekends
1. First meet

**Hello! This is my first ever story on fanfiction. 0_0 so yeah... little nervous... anyways, feedback would be welcomed and yeah! this is a test story so sorry if it's horrible. =^.^= ~summer slushy**

**disclaimer: I don't own castle :(**

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Chapter 1:

"One grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla and a bear claw!"

Quickly putting down her book, Kate Beckett stands up to retrieve her long awaited order. Breathing in the scent she locates a small table, secluded and quite. Claiming her spot, she picks up her book and barely reads two words before she sees a flash of bright red in her peripheral vision.

Peeking over the top of her book, she tracks the flame of red hair, which can barely be seen due to the mass of adults in the bookstore. Smiling to herself, Kate turns her attention back to her book, quickly locates her spot and continues reading.

Finishing her latte and bear claw, Kate sighs in satisfaction before standing up to throw away her trash. Putting her unfinished book on the table, she notices the little red headed girl she was watching only moments before. This time however, Kate notices the slight fear on her face. Narrowing her eyes, Beckett scans the crowed before locating a man, standing very close to the girl. Looking between the girl and the man, Kate's trained eyes notice the way he follows the girl, while looking some-what normal. Quickly standing up, Beckett abandons her stuff and pretends to walk to the bathroom, while in reality, trying to intercept the girl. In that split second, the man makes a move to grab the girl.

Eyes widening in fear, the girl starts to walk faster while looking around for an exit, only to find none, due to the amount of adults waiting around. Kate's eyes narrow and she puts her hand on her concealed gun at her hip. The second he touched the red head, Kate's gun was aimed.

"NYPD! Put your hands over your head!"

There was a lot of commotion before two more "hidden" cops produced some handcuffs and cuffed the creep. Kate frantically looked around for the flash of red before something latched onto her legs.

"Thank you! T-thank y-y-you so much-h-h!" the little girl was sobbing so hard, it was hard for her to get a word out. Smiling, Kate kneeled down and held her at an arm's length.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Alexis"


	2. Company

**Wow you guys! I got so many great reviews! :3 I know my chapters are a little short but I'm getting the hang of it. ****sorry if anyone seems OOC**

**Disclaimer: I don't own castle :(**

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**Ages~**

**Kate: 28**

**Castle: 33**

**Alexis: 7**

**Obviously the ages aren't accurate but eh **

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Chapter 2:

_[Previously]_

_"__Thank you! T-thank y-y-you so much-h-h!" the little girl was sobbing so hard, it was hard for her to get a word out. Smiling, Kate kneeled down and held her at an arm's length. _

_"__What's your name?"_

_"__I'm Alexis"_

* * *

Kate smiled sweetly at the sobbing girl. She was drawn to her like a moth is drawn to a light. It was surprising and new. After realizing that she was safe, Alexis gradually stopped crying and was slowly reduced to hiccupping periodically.

"Well Miss Alexis, my name's Kate! What's a cute little girl doing all alone in a bookstore? No date?"

Alexis giggled at Kate's attempt.

"I'm not a 'little girl', I'm almost 7!"

Putting her hands up in mock surrender, Kate softly laughed at that response. Deciding to answer the officer's question, Alexis shyly pointed in the direction of the escalator. Kate followed her finger and stared, not quite sure what she was looking at. Confused, Kate looked back at the red head, but only received an annoyed huff. Giving a dramatic eye-roll, Alexis walked over to a sign that advertised "RICHARD CASTLE BOOK SIGNING TODAY" before stopping and staring pointedly at the older woman. Smiling at the little girl's theatrics, Kate just stared before realization finally hit her.

"Your dad's Richard Castle?"

"Yep!"

Looking very proud of the fact that Kate had managed to figure it out, Alexis nodded with a smile that lit up her whole face. Suddenly, the smile slipped off her face and she became very shy again. Kate almost missed the whispered comment.

"His publisher, Gina, told me to stay out of the way and not get in trouble. I'm not allowed back down there for another 2 hours!"

Big crocodile tears started to from on the 7-year-old's face and Kate couldn't bear to see her cry. Wiping away the rouge tears, she smiled and asked one simple question:

"Well, want to keep me company? I'm kinda lonely myself."

Kate never got a verbal answer. But what she did get spoke more than words ever could.

Alexis's smile lit up her whole face. It was one of those "show off your teeth" kind of smiles. There was a sparkle in her bright blue eyes that made her see even younger. Running forward, she hugged Kate, who was still kneeling down. The unexpected force of a child running into her unbalanced her and they both tumbled over ungracefully. One look at the shocked 7-year-old's face was enough to make Kate laugh, which she rarely did. Picking her up, she started to walk towards her abandoned table to pack up her stuff. She turned the safety back on her gun and hid it away again, before turning to the child. Hand in hand, she and the little red head walked off to an "age-appropriate" book section, all the while chatting, as if nothing traumatic had happened just moments earlier.

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_[Meanwhile at the signing]_

Flashing a charming grin at the lady in line, Richard Castle signed his signature with flourish and handed the book back to her. Noticing she was blushing, he couldn't help but tease her by winking. Flushing an even darker shade of red, she smiled before leaving. Spotting his publisher out of his peripheral vison, he quickly put up a sign that said "Be back in 10 minutes! ;)". Ignoring the groans of misery coming from the line, he pushed back his chair and speed-walked to her.

"Where's Alexis?"

Putting her phone away, his publisher, Gina, looked at him through perfectly mascaraed eyes **{is that even a real phrase?}** smiled a tight lipped smile, before fully facing him.

"Well, I don't even get a greeting? My, my, Richard where are your manners?"

Giving a frustrated sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, effectively combing it back.

"Hello Gina. Where's Alexis?"

Pleased that she got a reaction, the publisher pulled out a pocked mirror and applied a thin layer of lip stick. Taking her time, she watched in satisfaction as he shifted his weight from one foot to the next.

"She's upstairs, out of the way. I can't have her distracting you when you have so many fans to impress."

She glared at him, making sure her insinuation did not go unnoticed. Rick, of course, noticed this and decided to mess with her.

"Oh, no it's fine. They can wait. I'm kind of in the mood for coffee, which so happens to be upstairs. I could use a longer break, especially some time with my daughter….."

Eyes widening with anger, Gina opened her mouth to say something, but before she could say anything, her eyes caught sight of a flash of red. Her face, morphing from one of anger, turned into what one can only describe at triumph.

"Well now you can see Alexis right there and she's perfectly fine. No need to disturb her."

Following her gaze, Rick did indeed see his daughter. Who he did not see, was the woman accompanying her. Satisfied that she was okay and "alone", he slowly walked back to the table, flashing a smile at the women in line, before signing away.


	3. The wait

**I never thought I would get this much of a response from you guys! ****J**

**Also as a guest pointed out, I never did mention why Castle was okay with Alexis being alone, given that she is 7… I feel like I'll leave that up to you ;)**

**Anyways, I don't own Castle so let the story continue!**

**Oh yeah, also lets make this so the story takes place in the middle of the day, like 3ish**

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Chapter 3:

_[Previously]_

_Following her gaze, Rick did indeed see his daughter. Who he did not see, was the woman accompanying her. Satisfied that she was okay and "alone", he slowly walked back to the table, flashing a smile at the women in line, before signing away._

Under the watchful eye of her new friend, Alexis wandered between the aisles, pulling books down as she went. Once her arms became too tired to carry anymore, she hopped onto the seat next to Kate. Glancing up from her book, she was met with two ice blue eyes that sparked with mischief.

"Are you going to get that book signed?"

Startled at that simple question, Kate looked down at her book and almost smacked herself for not realizing it. The book in question just so happened to be by Richard Castle. Honestly, all Kate had done was pick a random book, sat down, and read.

"Are you? I can get you to the front of the line. That way you don't have to wait so long!"

Alexis asked all this with such innocent happiness, that Kate almost wanted to say yes. She, however, didn't want to seem like she was taking advantage of Alexis and quite frankly, she was fond of her presence. Kate didn't want to get rid of her that quickly.

Shaking her head no, Kate watched as the little red head just gave a shrug and turn back to her pile of books. Pulling the hard cover off the top of the stack, Alexis turned to Kate once again.

"Would you mind reading to me?"

Staring at her in shock, Kate was met with the most refined puppy dog eyes anybody could pull off and her heart just melted. Besides, who was she to say no to a 7 year old? Realizing that she wasn't going to finish her book until she got home, she stowed it safely away and grabbed the book offered to her. And she read.

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_[Meanwhile at the signing]_

Richard Castle's face was beginning to hurt. Having a fake smile plastered on his face for 2 hours was not fun. Especially with Gina hovering over his shoulder, prompting him to engage in conversations that made no sense. He was really, really, tired. All he wanted to do was hang out with his little girl. Tearing his eyes off the page he was signing, he suppressed a groan. The line snaked around the whole entire floor. Flicking his eyes up, he could just barely make out the fiery red head that was his daughter. Her posture told him that she was talking to someone. Concern flooded through him, before she turned quickly to Gina.

Off to the side, his publisher was taking very animatedly on the phone.

'This is my moment of escape!'

Pulling the sign, he barely placed it on the table, before a clawed hand grabbed his arm. Unable to free it, he sighed and looked up, only to be met with the angry face of Gina.

"What do you think you're doing? There are fans waiting for your signature! This is good for publicity so don't ruin it," she whispered. Flashing a quick smile at the line, she plucked the sign from his hand and tossed it behind her, like it was no big deal. Eyes wide and mouth opened, Rick simply stared. His only safety net from these crazy fans had been thrown away like trash! Snapping his mouth shut, he turned back to the woman in line, morphing his face into the socially-acceptable-Richard-Castle face. However, in the back of his mind, he was thinking of ways to sneak away from Gina and be reunited with his little girl.

* * *

Kate had no idea how long she read for. Page after page, book after book she kept reading, until no new book was handed to her. Looking down at the now sleeping girl, she smiled. Partly from cuteness overload, and partly from relief. Her throat was getting soar. Putting down the book she was reading from, Kate sat there, staring at Alexis. After only knowing her for a short amount of time, she felt like Alexis belonged in her life. Shaking her head, she told herself 'After today you're probably never going to see her again. Don't get attached!' But hey, the heart wants what the heart wants. If it wanted to keep seeing Alexis, then that's what she'll try to do.

Looking at the clock, Kate's green eyes widened in shock. 2 hours had somehow slipped by, without her knowing. Time never passed that quickly, even when she was working. Kate glanced down at the girl, not wanting to wake her but realizing that she probably needed to get home soon.

Shaking Alexis, she roused the slumbering girl and gently pushed her into a sitting position. Alexis rubbed her eyes tiredly, before seemingly snapping awake.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!"

Kate just chuckled and gave the girl a hug, to show her that no harm was done. Relaxing into the hug, the red head almost fell asleep again. Blinking her eyes in an effort to stay awake, Alexis realized how empty the book store was getting. Normally, a person would be sad that the store was soon closing, but for her that meant more time with her dad!

Jumping off the seat, Alexis started to pile her books up to sort them back onto their respective shelves. Swooping down to grab a book before it fell, Kate also stood up and collected her things. Together, they both slid the books into their vacated spots, before ending up near the escalator. Grabbing Kate's hand, Alexis flashed her a smile, before pulling her to step on the moving steps to finally meet her dad.

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**MWAHAHA cliff hangar :D **


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry for not updating! I was just busy with school work and everything but now I have a break so I'll update both this story and my other one, Kidnap my heart!**

Chapter 4

_[previously]_

_Jumping off the seat, Alexis started to pile her books up to sort them back onto their respective shelves. Swooping down to grab a book before it fell, Kate also stood up and collected her things. Together, they both slid the books into their vacated spots, before ending up near the escalator. Grabbing Kate's hand, Alexis flashed her a smile, before pulling her to step on the moving steps to finally meet her dad._

Kate's heart was nervously pounding in her chest. She was on her way to meet her favorite author! Alexis was standing in front of her, chattering away about some funny things her dad did. When they finally reached the bottom, Alexis grabbed Kate's hand before her feet could get off the escalator.

Pulling her along, the red head squeezed between the lines of people still waiting for his signature. Kate smiled apologetically at the many adults she pushed when being pulled.

Weaving between the last line of fans, Alexis stopped in front of the table, frowning in disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked. She was slightly out of breath, trying to keep up with the 7 year old child.

Alexis looked around before answering, "He's not here. He might be in the back."

Ducking under the red dividing rope, Alexis took two steps before realizing that she wasn't being followed.

"Well come on! You can't meet him standing there like that!"

Kate debated with herself. Should she go or should she stay? Ducking under the rope before she could bail, Kate straightened up and flashed the girl a grin. In return, Alexis gave one back and turned around, throwing her words over her shoulder.

"Let's go meet my dad!"

Rick almost cried out in relief. His signing was over. It's not that he doesn't appreciate his fans and all, but these things get tiring after a while. And besides, he'd much rather hang out with his cute little daughter.

'Speaking of which, where is she?'

Looking up at the last place he saw her, panic shot through Rick when he couldn't see her. She always waited for him to get her! Standing up, he nearly ran to the back, ready to call the police to find his little girl.

"What are you doing?!" Looking at the source of the screech, Rick tried to hurriedly explain.

"Alexis, she's-I can't-missing" he stammered.

"Calm down I can't get a word of what you're saying!" Gina snapped. He was supposed to be paying attention to his fans, not his daughter.

Whirling around, Rick continued to search for the store's security.

'Where's the damn police when you need them?!'

He continued this before the a voice stopped him in his tracks

"Looking for someone?"

Kate had no idea what possessed her to say that.

'Seriously? You meet you favorite author and this is what you say?'

While mentally beating herself up over that question, Rick stood there staring at her. Just staring. Albeit a little awestruck, but still staring.

Kate self-consciously pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and awkwardly stood there. It was just getting creepy now. Realizing what he wasn't saying but instead thinking, Rick tried to scramble for something "appropriate" to say. Not many women could leave a writer speechless, especially playboy Richard Castle.

Alexis, getting tired with the weird silence and staring contest, piped up from between them.

"Daddy! Look who I met! Her name's Kate and she's a cop!" tugging excitedly on her father's jacket, the little 7 year old waited for a reaction.

Snapping out of his daze, Rick spared one last glance at 'Kate' before giving his daughter his undivided attention.

Squatting down to her height, Rick admonished his daughter, "Alexis, you're supposed to wait for me to come and get you. You don't know how worried I was when I couldn't see you!"

Unfazed by this mild scolding, Alexis continued on excitedly, "But I was with Kate! And she saved me and everything! She likes reading and she also has your book too!"

Rick looked up at the now blushing Kate. She stood there, shuffling her feet while a pink blush began to stain her cheeks. Standing up to his full height, he flashed her a cocky grin.

"So you're a fan?"

Kate glared at him and opened her mouth to say something. Before she could get the words out, Rick's mind caught up to the rest of Alexis's chattering.

"Wait, she saved you?" face paling at the thought, Rick spun around to face Alexis, "What happened? Are you okay? Did he get away? When-"

"Mr. Castle, I assure you she is alright and the man is currently behind bars," Kate interrupted with her 'no nonsense' cop voice.

"Oh- Thank you. Now," switching back to his playboy attitude Rick plastered on his signature grin and turned back around to the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Can I buy you a drink?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Ugh I'm so bad at updating. So sorry. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle**

Chapter 5:

_[previously]_

_"__Wait, she saved you?" face paling at the thought, Rick spun around to face Alexis, "What happened? Are you okay? Did he get away? When-"_

_"__Mr. Castle, I assure you she is alright and the man is currently behind bars," Kate interrupted with her 'no nonsense' cop voice._

_"__Oh- Thank you. Now," switching back to his playboy attitude Rick plastered on his signature grin and turned back around to the beautiful woman in front of him. _

_"__Can I buy you a drink?"_

"E-excuse me?"

Smiling cockily at Kate, Rick just raised his eyebrows in a knowing way. Oh he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but she was gorgeous, PLUS she saved Alexis. That was worth something.

Looking at him, Kate narrowed her eyes. The smile on Rick's face slipped for a moment.

_'__I wonder if she looks at criminals like that.'_

Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Kate weighed her options. While gnawing on her lip, Rick was overcome with a sudden urge to lose the attitude. She didn't jump at the chance to hang with him. She was actually THINKING about it.

"Umm… Well I don't think I—" Kate hesitantly began. She did want to go with him, but it just wasn't smart. He was knowing for being a playboy. Kate wanted to play it safe. No pun intended.

"Pleassseeeee? We could go to that burger place that has the really good shakes!" turning from Kate back to her dad, Alexis used her best pouting face. She rarely used it, but Alexis really liked Kate. She couldn't explain why, but Kate felt…..real.

Focusing on Kate, Alexis continued excitedly, "Have you ever been to Remy's? They have really good burgers and shakes and everything!"

Laughing lightly, Kate's features softened, "Well if you put it that way, I guess I could—"

_Ring Ring Ring_

Already reaching for her phone, Kate tapped the answer button, before answering, "Beckett."

Eyes widening at her composure, Rick looked down at his daughter. Even though she already saw Kate in action, she seemed to be in awe of her also.

Catching Kate's eyes, Rick mouthed to her 'So cool.'

Rolling her eyes at the childish behavior, Kate listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, before hanging up. Apologetically, Kate turned to the 7 year old girl.

"As much as I want to go to dinner at Remy's, I have to go to work. Sorry kid," chewing on her bottom lip once again, Kate tentatively made an offer, "But I do have next Thursday off. I could meet you guys for lunch at Remy's?"

Alexis and Rick, though he won't admit it, both knew their answer even before she finished her question. Alexis nodded her head so hard that Kate was afraid it was going to fall off. Rick contained his excitement a little better than the red head.

"Umm yeah that's great! What time? 12:30 sound good?" Agreeing with the time, Kate glanced at the clock before backing towards the door.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go. I'll see you Thursday!"

Yelling at the retreating figure, Rick asked, "Wait! Can I get your number?"

"No need! I'll see you Thursday!" Kate yelled back. Stepping out of the bookstore, she breathed in the cool New York air, before hailing a cab. Rick and Alexis stared after her, excited at the prospect of seeing her again.

Now they just have to wait.

**It's kind of short, but I'm hoping that shorter chapters will encourage me to update more often. Reviews are welcomed! **


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